Introducing the Smart Bro Dashboard!

If you are a Smart Bro Prepaid user, life will get a little more easier for you with the Smart Bro Dashboard!

The newly launched breakthrough portal allows Smart Bro Prepaid subscribers to:

- know your number (because goodness knows how difficult it is to memorize a new number haha)
- check your load
- register to promos
- track your usage
- view your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and
- protect yourself from unwanted charges with Smart Bro Load Protect

How to access this?

New subscribers: just plug in your Smart Bro Plug-it or connect to your Smart Bro Pocket Wifi and open your browser and the dashboard will automatically pop out. 

Existing subscribers: dashboard will appear upon expiration of bucket or zero balance. Or just access it through smart.com.ph/brodashboard

For more on the Smart Bro Dashboard, click HERE.

Congratulations to the Lysol Winner!

Congratulations Apol! 

Please wait for an email from me so we can coordinate with Lysol on getting your gift packs! ;)

Here's to your happy, healthy home!

Forexworld = Shopping Enabler

Over the summer, I discovered Forexworld, a new way to ship my online shopping finds from the US to here without hassling anybody at all. Ever!

It's like, if you are on a secret shopping mission, this is the way to do it. Everything's just between you and your computer. No human contact required. Ahihi.

Prior to Forexworld I would usually:

1) Ship to my friend Me-an or sister Trina so they can ship it to me. This is usually for:

- consolidating several purchases, so they can pre-pack for me, heehee. I love Me-an and Trina!

- big ticket items, so I can have them check it out to see if it everything's perfect. No scratches, no missing parts, etc.

- shoes where I am unsure of sizing and I want Me-an to try it on for me because we pretty much know that if it's small for her then it's gonna fit me. 

- items where I am not sure if it's a good buy, and I want Me-an's approval. Hahaha.

This also allows me to make returns if needed so that I don't have to worry about shipping it back to the US.

2) Ship via Johnny Air direct. 

I'd address my package to Johnny Air and call Johnny Air to check if the package has arrived when online tracking says package has been delivered. Just to double check, because I'm sigurista that way.

I once ordered Tieks online, and it said "Delivered", but the actual package never really arrived. So I've just made it a habit to double check, doesn't hurt to watch your packages like a hawk.

Anyway, once Johnny Air confirms that package has been received, they ship the package to Manila, easy peasy. This is usually for books, not so expensive shoes and clothes, makeup, stuff like that.

I have actually heard of Forexworld's balikbayan box shipping service from our friend Paul, but it was only when Gretel Pery, Paul's sister-in-law, told me about their internet shopping and air freight delivery service that I finally got to try them out.

Because hello, we're talking online shopping support here, heehee.

To cut a long story short, I tried out their service when I bought my summer sunnies online. And I am happy to report that they arrived, intact, and complete. And to think I asked them watch out for 2 separate packages so they can consolidate my order too!

All I had to do was:

1) Sign up for a Forexworld account HERE:

2) Once confirmed, I ordered the sunnies and used Forexworld's Los Angeles Warehouse address as my shipping address, addressed to me. 

Christine Dychiao  

12820 S. Main St. 

Los Angeles, CA 90061 

Tel no. 310 - 523 - 4080

I logged on to my account and chose Drop Ship from the Order Type dropdown menu. I chose Drop Ship because I already bought the items and wanted them delivered to their warehouse. (to get the full step by step on Drop Shipping, click HERE)

You can choose Online Shop if you want them to do the shopping for you if you don't have Paypal or don't want to use your credit card. You just need to pre-fund your account via PayPilipinas or BPI or BDO bank deposit.

3) After filling in the details, I got an update with my Order ID number which meant they were already watching out for my package.

4) When my package was delivered, they notified me that it was received in their warehouse. I didn't have to make any calls or email to follow up with them anymore.

Because I decided to save on shipping by buying another pair (uhm does that make sense? haha) I made another Drop Ship order and asked that this be consolidated with my first order.

Again, I got a notification when my second package was delivered to their warehouse.

5) They put together the contents of both packages and I received another notification, this time advising me of when my package was expected to arrive.

Soon enough, the sunnies arrived at my door, just like that. Without me having to worry about where the packages were, thanks to constant updates from Forexworld.

In fact, I could also choose to check on the status of my order by accessing my Forexworld online shopping account. No need to follow up the local office by calling constantly, which is what happens sometimes with Johnny Air.

Now, how much does this cost?

Air freight charges depends on the items that we purchase i.e. item’s packaging dimensions, weight and its cost. 

Air freight shipping cost is $24.95 for the first pound (lb) with an additional $3.95 for each added pound. For electronics, the additional charge per succeeding pound is $6.95. Weight is rounded off to the next pound. 

If package is bulky, weight is measured by volume. Value calculated to get the cost of shipping is based on actual weight or volumetric weight, whichever is higher. 

Delivery takes approximately seven (7) to ten (10) days. Currently Forexworld can only service Luzon deliveries.

For Pinoys based on the East Coast, you might want to check out Forexworld's Air Freight promo for bigger packages that ship out from their Virginia warehouse. 

$95 for a small box that you may fill up to 20 lbs, and $170 for a larger box that you may fill up to 40 lbs.

For more on Forexworld, visit their website and Like the Forex Facebook page.

A Lysol Giveaway

Would you like to try Lysol's new Disinfectant Spray for Baby's Room? We'll throw in Lysol's new liquid anti-bacterial hand soap too! Simply join by using the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will choose one winner and Lysol will take care of shipping the winner's prize! Entries accepted until July 3, 2014!

UPDATE: Lysol can only ship within Metro Manila because of the aerosol spray can. Winners who live outside of Metro Manila must be able to provide a Metro Manila address.

BetterMe: Attaining and Sustaining Loving Energy in the Family, Part 2

Continuing from Part 1, here's Part 2 of How to Raise Kids with Strong Character & Values:

6. Talk explicitly about your values and why they are important to you.

The values we stress on our kids will help them navigate situations that test them. Reinforce by saying, "The (your last name here) are kind/helpful/have integrity/ honest/trustworthy".

But we should also be prepared to help our children interpret how the world takes in that value. 

Sometimes, certain values are not "valued" by their peers, especially during the adolescent years. Take honesty for instance.  When classmates cheat in class, honesty may only ostracize the honest kid aka "squealer". We should also be ready to guide our kid on how to navigate situations like these without making them resent that value.

If the parents have different values, it's ok. It shows diversity and how other people will not always have the same values you do. What's important is the parents shows teamwork.

7. Talk about why you make certain decisions based on that value.

This is where stories and fables like Aesop's Fables come in. It is important to talk to our kids about why a particular value was incremental in making that decision. Stories hold power, they also make lessons easier to remember.

8. Resist lecturing.

It's so hard to hold back when you have all these ideas ready to spew out from your mouth in the form of a lecture, but hold it in! The best you can do is to ask your child, "What happened?" Sometimes, that's all a child needs, a parent's genuine concern. But this doesn't mean you just let things be.

Time the teaching moment when your emotions have settled down and you have processed the entire situation in an objective manner.

Coach Pia says we should share our own views sparingly unless the child is in harm's way. So in the case of non-negotiables (drugs, danger, accidents, etc) do not back off! Assert yourself.

9. Make it relevant to their world. Take it away from being theoretical.

Let's say you want to teach your kid independence.

A school project comes up and your child says, "Teacher said I should do this myself!"

Aha! The perfect situation to teach independence, right? 

So you let her do it herself. And when she proudly shows her self-made project to you, you summon all the self-control you have to resist the urge to fix that lopsided roof, that loose button, or that really awkward sentence in her school essay.

Yes, that's teaching them independence. You let them do it themselves, even if you can already see a C in the horizon. That project won't give them an A, and you accept that.

Put a premium on effort and enthusiasm. You can't teach independence via a story or by the book. You've got to let them stand on their own feet literally.

BetterMe: Attaining and Sustaining Loving Energy in the Family, was made possible by DMCI Homes and Lysol.

To keep the home full of love, make sure your home is not only stress-free but clean and healthy too! Lysol, a trusted champion of health, partners with mothers and homemakers in caring for the health & well-being of our families and homes.